Traveling crane.



W. F. BROTHERS. TRAVELING CRANE.

APPLIOATI'ON FILED D110. 1, 1909.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

W. F. BROTHERS.

TRAVELING CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. 1909.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. BROTHERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAVELING CRANE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. BROTH- nrs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, clty, county, andState of New York, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements inTraveling Cranes, of which the following is a specification accompaniedby drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in traveling cranes, but moreparticularly to the towers used in connection with cableways, althoughthe invention may be used in any connection in which it is foundapplicable.

The object of the invention is to provide means for overcoming flangefriction between the flanges of the driving and supporting wheels of thetowers and the rail or rails upon which the wheels rest.

Another object of the invention is to enable power to be appliedmechanically for moving the cranes without twist or undue strain uponthe towers while being moved.

To these ends the invention in its preferred form is described andclaimed in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 1s a side elevation of a flexible bridge crane Fig. 2 isan end elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevationpartly broken away of one of the tower carriages; Fig. 4 is a transversesectional elevation on the line 44 of Fig. 3, looking in the directionof the arrows; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, A and B represent the main supports or legsof the traveling towers supported on the carriages C and D- traveling onthe rails E and F.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is applied to a balanced cablecrane of which G is the bridge and H is the shifting load. Gravityanchors or counter-weights H are hung from the upper ends of the towerson the opposite side to the cable or bridge G. The rails E and F asshown are supported at an incline to the vertical to accommodate thethrust of the towers.

In accordance with this invention the carriages C and D are mechanicallydriven as by means of suitable motors J connected to drive one set ofWheels on each carriage. Preferably the driving wheels K are pro videdwith toothed flanges L meshing with Specification of Letters Patent.Patented A110. 15, 1911 Application filed December 1, 1909.

Serial No. 530,757.

idler pinions O and driving pinion 0'. On the shaft of the drivingpinion O is a sprocket wheel P connected by chain drive Q. with thesprocket pinion R on counter shaft S, on theoppo-site end of which shaftis a spur wheel T meshing with spur pinion U on the shaft of the motorJ. By this chain of mechanism all the driving wheels are driven in thesame direction and by reversing the motor the movement of the carriagemay be reversed.

In accordance with the invention means are provided for adjusting theangle of the carriage on the rails relatively to the ver tical withoutchanging the angle of the tower relative to the vertical. Assuming thatthe mean position of the tower legs is at an angle of substantially 45,I provide means for adjusting the angle of the carriage at a greater orless number of degrees relative to the vertical, thereby adjusting thecarriage and wheel flanges to the rails and compensating for the thrustof the tower legs to avoid binding between the wheel flanges and theedges of the rail heads. This adjustment is required in case the angleof the rail varies for any reason as by settling of the foundationsthereunder or by reason of a changing angle of the tower legs due to astretching of the bridge G. I am enabled to maintain the wheels on therails at any angle within certain limits regardless of the angle atwhich the tower legs may stand.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 4 and 5 the carriage is providedwith saddles or step sockets V suitably secured to the frame as by meansof the bolts W and the legs are provided with male sections or steps Xadapted to be seated in the step sockets and cotter pin Y or othersuitable connection holds the parts together. The outer portions of thestep socket and step as shown are provided with key-ways Z in which areseated the split reversely tapered keys a, b. By suitably adjusting thesplit keys a, b it will be seen that a change in the angle between thelegs A and the carriage thereunder may be readily effected. By thismeans the angle of the carriage may be maintained so adjusted thatbinding between the flanges of the wheels on one side or the otheragainst the rail head may be obviated.

I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent the following:

1. A flexible bridge traveling crane, comprising a carriage and shearlegs, and means for changing the angle of the carriage with thevertical, without varying the angle of the legs with the vertical.

2. A flexible bridge traveling crane, comprising a carriage and shearlegs, and means for changing the angle of the shear'legs with thevertical without varying the angle of the carriage with the vertical.

3.- A flexible bridge traveling crane, co1nprising a carriage and shearlegs, and means for varying the angle of one relatively to the other.

4. A flexible bridge traveling crane, comprising shear legs, asupporting carriage adapted to'travel on a single rail, and means foradjusting the angle of said carriage on said rail, without varying theangle of the shear legs with the vertical.

5. A flexible bridge "traveling crane, comprising shear legs, asupporting carriage adjustably connected thereto, wheels for saidcarriage adapted to travel on a single rail and means for varying theangle of the carriage on said rail without varying the angle of theshear legs with the vertical.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in thepresence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

7 WILLIAM F. BROTHERS.

Witnesses:

K. G. LEARD, E. P. LA GAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). C.

